Ghost
Ghosts are feared terran covert operatives. They are known for their skill, psionic powers and ability to cloak.Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. Overview Ghosts were chosen from psychically-gifted individuals who were quarantined by the Terran Confederacy and trained from infancy to channel their psionic energies to augment their natural physical strength and endurance. Conscripts who successfully completed the Ghost Program's rigorous training and augmentations then served as commandos and assassins. Ghosts are trained in target shooting, close-quarters combat (martial arts and possibly other techniques) and vehicular expertise. Ghosts are also trained to move quickly and are desensitized to combat; an example would be Sarah Kerrigan's training, who had a gun placed to her head by a guard and was ordered to kill the guard before he killed her. Kerrigan was subjected to this training at age twelve. Ghosts were frequently tasked to locate targets for and provide targeting for tactical nuclear strikes. Their reconnaissance role was aided by cybernetic enhancements to their eyes. Controls Standard Confederate practice was to implant psychic dampeners into all ghosts to weaken and reshape their memoriesNeilson, Micky (December 18, 2000). StarCraft: Uprising. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook). and as a safeguard, acting on the principle of neural resocialization;Neilson, Micky. "StarCraft: Hybrid." Amazing Stories 601 (Spring 2000): 70-75. however these implants could be disabled. Following the defection of Sarah Kerrigan, the Confederacy instituted a policy of memory wipes. Designation For the most part, ghosts are simply numbers or names. Under the Confederacy, all ghosts, regardless of whether they "graduated" or not, were assigned a standard number and/or agent number (an alpha-numeric code). The Dominion has retained this system, though has included the use of codenames. Few ghosts under the program have any memories of their former lives or even their names, especially after memory wipes became SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). All ghosts possess a personal file, though the contents are restricted.Mesta, Gabriel. StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga. Pocket Books, 2001. ISBN 0-671-04149-5. Psionic Powers Ghosts have the ability to read mindsUnderwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. but generally do not have the ability to block thoughts; ghosts find each other very easy to read.Grubb, Jeff (February 27, 2001). StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04148-7. Ghosts and weaker psychics can detect other sources of psionic power.DeCandido, Keith R. A. (November 28, 2006). StarCraft: Ghost: Nova. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7134-2.Karune. 2008-03-26. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 33: ScreenCraft. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-03-26. Ghosts channeled their psionic energies through their hostile environment suit, a specialized skinsuit laced with psi-sensitive artificial muscle fiber, to augment their physical capabilities.Ghost. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-08-10. A cloaking device and requisite power supply were frequently issued as well; the device requires psionic energy as a component.Rosenberg, Aaron (June 1, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7133-4. Some ghosts have demonstrated a wider variety of powers. For instance, Sarah KerriganNeilson, Micky. "StarCraft: Hybrid." Amazing Stories 601 (Spring 2000): 70-75. and Nova have demonstrated the ability to damage opponents' brains to the point of death. Nova can even kill multiple opponents while leaving someone in the midst of the attack unharmed. Devon Starke has demonstrated the ability to project his thoughts, as well as remote viewing and psychometry. He and some other ghosts have also demonstrated the ability to plant suicidal and homicidal urges into an opponent's mind.Golden, Christie (November 27, 2007). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga #2: Shadow Hunters. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7126-1. The Next Generation ]] Following the defection of Sarah Kerrigan, the Terran Confederacy instituted new controls on its ghosts. For instance, instead of relying on psychic dampeners, which could be disabled, the memory wipe technique was implemented. Following the Fall of Tarsonis, the Terran Dominion also instituted changes. In addition to their previous abilities, ghosts were trained to combine psionics and technology to do things such as see through objects with heat vision.Source: BlizzCon 2005 StarCraft: Ghost information. Terran Infantry. Artist: Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-08.2006-02-06. Psi Powers. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-01. The powerful ghost Nova can use her hostile environment suit and psionic powers to greatly increase her speed and reflexes. Ghosts also began using protoss-derived technology such as the psyblade.Blevins, Tal. 2002-09-19. StarCraft: Ghost: Exclusive first details of Blizzard's big console shooter. IGN. Accessed 2007-09-01 Project Gestalt, lasting from 2502 to 2503, utilized cross-species tissue transplants, specifically implanting protoss tissue into a ghost, converting him into a gestalt. However, the project was terminated by the protoss.Elder, Josh (w), Ramanda Kamarga (p), Angie Nathalia (i), Junadi (i). "Do No Harm." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 3 (paperback binding), pp. 48-89. Tokyopop, July 14, 2009. ISBN 978-1427-80832-5. Ghost began disappearing in approximately 2505.Pocket Books: Fall 2009. Simon & Schuster. Accessed 2009-04-12. Spectres :Main articles: Project Shadow Blade, Spectres After the Brood War some ghosts were exposed to terrazine gas, a substance known to drive genetic mutation in psychics. This was part of General Horace Warfield's Project Shadow Blade. The result were "enhanced" ghosts known as spectres.2006-02-15. Story. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-01. Arsenal In addition to the hostile environment suit, ghosts have access to the following weapons: *AGR-14 rifle *BOSUN FN92 rifle *C-10 rifle *C-20A rifle *Combat knife *E-11 lockdown device *Psyblade *Tactical nuke launcher *Torrent SR-8 shotgun Units StarCraft : For StarCraft gameplay information see: Ghost (StarCraft). : For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft I Ghost Quotations. StarCraft: Ghost ]] : For StarCraft: Ghost information see: Ghost (StarCraft: Ghost). The player-character in the game was a ghost named Nova. Ghosts were also a playable 'class' in multiplayer. StarCraft II : For StarCraft II gameplay information see: Ghost (StarCraft II). : For StarCraft II in-game quotations see: StarCraft II Ghost Quotations. Known Ghosts Major Ghost Characters *Samir Duran (exact species disputed) *Sarah Kerrigan (Ghost No. 24, now an infested terran) *Nova (Agent 12-862) *Gabriel Tosh *United Earth Directorate Vice Admiral Alexei StukovBlizzard Entertainment, Mass Media Inc. StarCraft 64. (Nintendo of America, Inc.) Mission: Resurrection IV (in English). 2000. Other Ghosts *Agent X81505M *Atticus Carpenter (merged with Cerebrate Auza) *Aal Cistler (ghost trainee) *Elite Guard (ghost unit) *Gestalt Zero (protoss/terran hybrid, similar to a ghost) *"Ghost Brother" (later converted to the Church of Besainted Pelagius) *Ghost No. 24506 *Ghost No. 24718 *MacGregor Golding *Colin Phash (ghost trainee) *Piett (ghost trainee) *Johnny Raynor (possible) *The Shroud (ghost unit) *Space Pirates **Manic **Twitch *Devon Starke (Ghost #25876, servant to Valerian Mengsk) *"Unholy" Tara (leader of the mercenary group "Unholy" Tara's Stalkers) *Kath Toom (ghost trainee) *Lio Travski (ghost trainee) *Kare Vaessen (a ghost of the Alliance) *Jenn the Vivacious (leader of a mercenary group known for using the Skullder Unit 004) *Welke (a member of Hale's Commandos) References * 2005-11-29. Ghost. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-06. Category: Terran occupations